Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Complex and satisfying imperial stout. This is to be brewed on a rotating basis. Spicy rye,wheat,oats some sugar and coconut,chocolate malts, and warrior, centennial and cascade hops delivering their measured IBU of 100. This is a big beer, no head, carbonation right there. Coca-cola like caramel, some Maris Otter.At Castro Amsterdam event.Had a few weeks later again at C'est What. Dry, coco more pronounced,no barrel ageing observed. (438 characters)

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a rather large dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of dry roasted malt with some black chocolate and roasted coffee notes. Taste is mix between some roasted coffee notes with light bitter notes of black chocolate with some subtle notes of liquorice and light lactose finish. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very drinkable and well balanced though doesn’t necessarily stand out from the pack with limited complexity. (526 characters)

A - Two-plus fingers of dark tan foam settles to a thin cap, thicker collar, and plenty of splotchy lacing. Jet black body that reveals a glint of brown when held to the light.

S - Tons of roast. burnt malts, char, anise, and coffee. A bit of dark bread and fudge as the beer approaches room temperature. Very European and classic in flavor profile. Perhaps a bit of herbaceous hop in the mix.

T - Taste has more dark chocolate, bread, and fudge sweetness, with some nebulous fruitiness as well. Definitely some espresso bitterness and char in the finish, but not excessively so. Almost seems bigger than the listed 9%.

For a beer named "Tempest" this doesn't generate much of a storm insofar as head is concerned. What does last, however, is, like the beer itself, so wickedly dark as to be frightful - I may have to sleep with lights on tonight. This inky dark concentration shows any brown colour only along the trim and if held at off angles directly into the light.

The aroma smells Kahlua-like, albeit with a little more muscle behind it. Swirling helps to bring out the roastier, meatier malty notes; otherwise it succumbs to a faded, oily coffee monotony. The bouquets falls under a more traditional style, offering up a lightly roasted, only loosely chocolatey flavour and esters evoking plum.

Roasted grain factors heavily into the taste, perhaps too much as the anticipated, more decadent dark chocolate flavours fail to arise. Still, it supplies a welcome tarry, black coffee note and a creamy hazelnut middle. It's far from "rich" but also features a tea leaf earthiness and traces of black currants and blackberries that provide a little extra enjoyment on the finish.

So far as 9% stouts go, this is considerably lean-muscled. Not terribly dense, it's got no baby fat to drop and doesn't have the meatiness to withstand extended time in the cellar. Drink it sooner rather than later - and why not? It's in great shape. Despite warming to a more liqueur-like texture it keeps a fairly taut, solid composure and rarely exposes any alcohol.

Amsterdam Tempest is no match for the majestic Yeti or Abyss; were it literally an American double stout it'd rank second tier. However, it may well be one of the better Canadian offerings and does well to evince the style's pedigree (without stylishly showing it off). This was one of the more hyped and sought-after beers around these parts lately, and not without reason. (1,814 characters)

Bottle from the brewery, 500ml into a tulip. Wax was tough to get off this bad boy.

Pours near black, with a finger or two of light brown head even with a real aggressive pour. Some lacing and modest retention. Nose has some roasty coffee, bakers chocolate and some light dark fruits, maybe a touch of anise or licorice. Taste has quite a bit of roast, dark chocolate and bakers chocolate, some light brown sugar. Touch of anise again; hint of vanilla. Mouthfeel is fairly full, medium low carbonation with a long roasty finish. Some alcohol in the end too. Quite a nice imperial stout, certainly one of the best to come out of this province in recent memory. Enjoyed this more than the barrel aged version with cocoa nibs. Recommended, glad I've got a couple more of these kicking around. Make more Amsterdam (or should I say Ian ;) (835 characters)

T - Dark chocolate, intense licorice, roasted malts, espresso and a hint of sweet molasses. A good bitterness present throughout. Very robust. Each and every sip seemed to uncover another layer of flavour.

Appearance - Dark brown colour with a large size frothy light brown head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, coffee

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, chocolate, and vanilla. There is also some coffee, a bit of booze, and a roasted/burnt bitterness.

Overall - Better than I though it would be based on the ratings. Curious to see how this ages since it seems a little rough around the edges. (617 characters)

O/D - A fairly nice Imperial Stout and one I've wanted to try for a while. The few months of smoothing out have probably done this well. A complex and enjoyable one from Amsterdam, and one that Ontario should be proud of. (926 characters)

a- scored the wax and pried the top off (easy peasy, like any other waxed bottle)...liquid poured a deep lush sludgy black. Settled in the glass like an 8 ball with a mocha colored foamy cap that coated the glass with lace as I sipped and it dissolved. My mouth is officially watering.

s - nose sings a song of deeply roasted chocolate flavored coffee. Rich and lush and inviting. The roast carries an almost woody scent with it. Burnt.

t/m/o - HUGE roast. Roasted roasty roasters of roasted roastiness. Coffee and charred burnt chocolate. Silky smooth while being full bodied and chewy. Did I mention that this beer is roasty? It is also fairly burnt malt but really nice. Definitely something different and tasty. Very glad to have tried. (838 characters)

First off, something has to be said about the bottle. The fake wax on the cap and on top of the bottle is a neat effect, and looks pretty cool. Certainly makes an impression. However, it does make it rather difficult to get the cap off!

Surprise- it is black. Thick tan head, moderate lacing.

Smell consists of dark chocolate, coffee, a bit of booze, and some light hops. Nice smell- pretty typical of an imperial stout.

Beer is fairly bitter, and the tastes are similar to the nose. Chocolate is present, and a roasted malt taste. Quite good- very full flavoured.

Beer is a little thin for the style, but otherwise good. Minimal carbonation. A little bit oily. Coats the mouth well.

Overall, a very enjoyable stout. I hope it becomes a regular (or at least seasonal) appearance. Between this and Boneshaker, I have found Amsterdam pretty impressive recently (864 characters)

APPEARANCE: A clear brown pour yields a small, medium looking, tan head with decent retention. Head fades to a nice ring and wisp. Transparent black body with lower levels of carbonation. A ring remains until the end but leaves no lacing down the glass. Too thin and light for the style.

SMELL: Milder nose of roasted malts, licorice and roasted coffee beans. A touch of dark chocolate as well. Nice aroma, but just not as bold as it needs to be.

TASTE: Roasted malts, caramel malts, licorice and then some bitter coffee flavors at the swallow. Bolder and lingering aftertaste of roasted black licorice, bitter coffee and a touch of sweet caramel. Pretty nice, and slightly more memorable than the nose.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. A touch light on the palate perhaps, but creamy and smooth on the palate. Goes down fine and finishes a tick dry. Pretty creamy and nice, though a touch more weight would really help.

OVERALL: This is alright and was enjoyable to drink, but there are a lot of things that just aren't quite there, holding it back from being the world class stout it wants to be. The look is far too transparent for the style, the nose too mild, and palate a little too light as well. More weight in the feel would also help bring the flavors out a little more. Good beer, but nothing worth writing home about. Thanks again guys. (1,498 characters)

Nearly jet black, just over one finger of deep tan head, some lace spots. Smell is of coffee and bakers chocolate, roasted malt, light alcoholic notes, bitter herbal quality, fairly hoppy as well. Taste is full of bakers and milk chocolate, some coffee, big roasted malt middle, vanilla, more chocolate and roast coffee in the finish. Silky smooth mouthfeel, medium carbonation, full body, nice weight. This is really good, one of the better imperial stouts I have had in a while and it came form Ontario! Really hope to see this more often. (606 characters)

Draft, served in a snifter at Amsterdam BrewHouse.Poured a pitch-black color, with a tall dark brown, foamy head. Good retention and leaving chunky lacing. Aroma of roasted coffee, cocoa, dark chocolate.Taste is of same roasted coffee, dark rich chocolate, slightly bitter to finish.Body is quite full, with good carbonation keeps it smooth not bloating. High alcohol is hidden, well balanced, very drinkable.2 thumbs up. (429 characters)

Review/Rate #900. Wax cap 500ml into a snifter. ANBL's first-ever Imperial Stout stock. Only took until 2014! Heard lots of complaints about the difficulty of getting the cap off, but it really just takes a little precision and some muscle and it should come off fine.

A - pours rich dark brown with a tan head, about half a finger.

S - I was actually most surprised by the aroma - lots of hops upfront. If I didn't know better I would think this was a CDA or a black IPA. Roastiness and chocolate sneak in after.

T - bitter coffee upfront, lots of choclate, espresso roasty goodness on the finish. Not much sweetness despite the abv.

M - thick and rich, low carbonation.

O - not a bad brew. Certainly the best RIS going here in NB (read: the only one). In a category with other behemoths though, this would certainly be lost at sea. But on its own, it's pretty good. I'm sitting on another. (896 characters)

Taste has a big upfront bitterness, and tons of roast dark malt. Big body, but quite a decent sipper. A bit unbalanced maybe. Plenty of dark roast coffee, dark chocolate notes though. Carbonation is light and body quite a bit malty presence. Alcohol is very well hidden and comes across a lot lighter than the ABV would suggest. Finish is very clean and structured, a nice dryness.

Not a mind-blowing imperial stout, but it has a really nice flavour and it works quite well. For xmas time, this is a nice local treat and quite enjoyable, nice and rich, with a surprising lightness. Certainly a good offering from Amsterdam. Won't rock your world but makes a really good no-frills holiday stout.

2013 vintage - tasted july 2014. Aroma is bitter and mildly roast. Lots of rich earthy dark chocolate. Taste is clean, with a balanced chocolate coffee character, developing more bitterness, lots of hop bitterness coming through, more apparent carbonation, with a rich earthy character, picked up more of the coconut and buttery vanilla notes, a bit of a balanced stout character, a bit more lively on the nose than on the flavour, some semisweet milk chocolate and strong coffee, still not an mind-blowing IS, but a full bodied and flavourful one with a pretty good complexity, updated ratings. (1,529 characters)

500 mL wax-dipped bottle from the LCBO; this is the 2012 edition. Poured into a tumbler, and served only slightly chilled.

Pours an opaque brownish-black colour, generating one finger of frothy, light tan-coloured head that quickly recedes into a soapy, bubbly film at the surface, with a modest collar. Minimal lacing. The aroma is muted and not particularly unique for the style - roasted malts, coffee, cocoa nibs, and a pronounced earthy, herbal dryness make up the bulk. Some dark cherry (or other dark fruit notes) become easier to make out as it warms, but on the whole the aroma is closer to average than outstanding.

Not all that impressed so far, but perhaps I've been too hasty - flavour is why most of us drink beer, and this stuff actually tastes pretty good. Roasted malts, semisweet chocolate and burnt coffee grinds all come to mind early during the sip, with molasses and raisin notes coming through as well. It finishes with a pleasant, charry, roasted malt character, with a hint of espresso and some accompanying herbal hop dryness. Dry, somewhat roasty aftertaste that lingers on the palate. For a 9% brew, the ethanol is actually surprisingly well-hidden, never really interacting much with the flavour profile. Medium-bodied, with relatively high levels of carbonation that give it a spritzier mouthfeel than most imperial stouts. This is not an especially complex beer for the style, but it is ridiculously drinkable for its heft.

Final Grade: 3.68, a B grade. Amsterdam's Tempest Imperial Stout is a solid brew, though I'd be lying if I said it was a favourite as far as big dark beers go. This is one of those beers that genuinely tastes and feels lighter than it actually is - which can be either a blessing, if you're not big on high-abv brews in general, or a curse, if heat and complexity from the ethanol is one of the reasons you seek out the style. Lightness aside, the flavours are deftly balanced, with the profile leaning toward the dry side overall, making this a highly quaffable double stout that won't exhaust your palate with sticky sweetness or booze. In a market that seems to lack wide access to locally-made beers of this style, this is an affordable offering that is definitely worth at least one try, though you shouldn't expect to be blown away. (2,297 characters)

Pours completely black, no amber glints even to speak of. The espresso colored compact head leaves several meandering trails of lace on the glass. In the nose, chocolate and black coffee mix with some citrus and alcohol. The taste is enormously malty and roasty with molasses, tobacco, coffee and cocoa flavors. A creeping alcohol heat is always evident. Citrus and pine hops are in the background, providing a good balance to the maltiness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a subtle, moderate carbonation. A moderate hop bitterness blends with chocolate, roasty and booze flavors in the long finish.

This is a good Imperial Stout. It could be a little fuller bodied and modest in alcohol flavor, but still definitely worth a try. (734 characters)

500mL bottle, sealed with black wax (which was a pain to remove, but there you go). Nice to see some limited release Amsterdam bottles in the LCBO, especially this one.

Poured into a stein. Dark as pitch, with a thick cap of mocha foam that has great retention and creates a great coat of lacing. Very nice looking stout.

Nose is quite nice: chocolate, sugar, coffee, caramel. Not overly potent, but still very enjoyable.

Rich chocolate, coffee, cream, molasses, a touch of wood/peat to the finish, with a lingering mild alcohol warmth.

Creamy, chewy, nice mild carbonation, very thick and rich. One of the better feeling stouts I've had in a while. Alcohol is minimal.

Rich and flavorful, thick and hearty - a fine stout all around. Great stuff from Amsterdam - so glad this got a release, because I know this brewery is capable of great stuff. It just needs a chance to show it off. (893 characters)

500ml waxed cap from the brewery store. Waxing is nice and thick, classy. Labeling is amateur though, doesn't match. Any ways, who cares what's on the outside - the the beer! Poured at cellar temp.

Pours a nice rich black with thin lines of cherrywood around the edges. Two fingers of compact, mocha head which pleasantly leaves rings of lacing.

Out of the bottle there is a dash of smoke detected, dark fruits, roasted malts, chocolate syrup,

Roasty flavor, molasses and leather, smoke, slightly ashy, baking chocolate, caramel. I don't remember all this smoke in the bottle I had right after release, not sure if it's intentional. Certainly in the English vein of things, not an American Imperial. Slight over carbonation, bone dry finish with some bitterness there which is slightly unusual for style, not much residual sweetness. Smooth mouthfeel if not just a hair thin for what I would aim for, a little sweeter more robust body.

Will have to revisit to see if other bottles have the smoke profile. Either way, it's a fairly solid attempt at a style rarely done in these part. While not amazing, it's solid and a nice step forward. (1,143 characters)

Tempest pours a deep dark brown, almost black, with a very thin head of just about a thumb thickness. This head breaks somewhat quickly and one is left with little lacing and just a tiny island of bubbles in the middle of glass.

The smell is chocolate, coffee, a touch of leather, and unfortunately rubbing alcohol. This is somewhat off putting.

Taste is bitter coffee, burnt malts, and bitter chocolate...again the alcohol also sneaks through in an unfortunate way...it is almost invasive on the finish.

Mouth feel is good carbonation, thickish, warming from the aforementioned alcohol gives a good finish.

Overall, I would have to say this is an okay beer. I have to wonder if age would help it, but that cat is out of the bag at this point. Perhaps I will pick up another and put it away. The alcohol smell and taste is the weak point for this beer, otherwise it makes the mark pretty well. (936 characters)

500 ml bottle from LCBO received as Christmas gift. Have been curious about this one for awhile, but never bothered to pick it up. Served chilled into a pint glass.

Appearance - Dense dark brown nearly black beer spills into the glass. Ended up with about 2.5 fingers of dark brown head that appeared to lighten as it receded. Nice spidery lacing on the glass and the head retention is great, lasted for along time, leaving a foamy cap on top.

Aroma - Earthy, slightly floral, hoppy aroma. Some smoke and faint licorice scents as well. While there is also the coffee and chocolate aromas that accompanies many stouts it is not terribly pronounced.

Taste - A little bit of a hop and coffee mixture transitioning into a smoky bitter chocolate finish that further evolves into a dry hop bitter aftertaste. The initial flavors up front are rather subdued making the flavorful last half of any sip that much more dramatic.

Mouthfeel - Very smooth and frothy, not slick but nice medium body as well. The finish is neither dry nor wet, striking a nice balance of moderation. While knowing this is an American Imperial Stout, it is actually rather light and doesn't overwhelm with its density.

Overall- Pretty tasty brew, especially on a cold December night, and would recommend to have again. I'm interested in trying again to see what it tastes like at colder temperatures and whether there is a significant difference, compared to the moderately chilled bottle I had. (1,469 characters)